End-gate for wagons.



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END GATE'FUB WAGONS. (Application Bled Aug. 7, 1900.)

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no. 665,6". Patented 1an. a, |901. 'E. C. &. H. L. LITCHFIELD. Erm GATE Fon wAaoNs. (Appliencnm' med Aug. 7, 1900.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT EDGAR C. LITCHFIELD AND HENRY L. LITCHFIELD, OF WEBSTER CITY, IOWA, ASSIGNORS TO THE LITCHFIELD MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

OF SAME PLACE.

EN D-GATE FOR wAcoNs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,61 1, dated Januay e, 190i.

Application filed August 7, 1900. Serial No. 26,164. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we,EDGAR C. LITOHEIELD and HENRY L. LIICHEIELD, citizens of the United States, residing at Webster City, in the county of Hamilton and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful End-Gate for lVagons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to end-gates for wagon-boxes and the like; and the objects of the same are to provide a simple and effective device of this nature having the characteristics of a combination shoveling and dumping end-gate, to avoid diminishing or mutilating the primary length of the Wagon-box, but, on the contrary, increase the length of the latter by the use of an extension removably fitted in connecting relation to the ordinary endgate guides located on the inner opposing sides of the wagonbox and having closed sides and bottom and a sufficient rearward projection to permit the end-gate itself shutting either inside or outside the extension without said end-gate coming in contact with the wagon-box, and also to form grain-tight joints between the parts of the improved device and generally increase its value and usefulness by details of construction which will be more fully hereinafter set forth in the course of the subjoined description.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter described and claimed and subject to a wide range of modification within the purview of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective'.

View of a portion of a Wagon running-gear and box, showing the improved end-gate applied thereto and shown in locked condition.

4o Fig. 2 is a similar View of the improved endgate and a portion of the wagon-box, showing the gate arrangedfor shoveling purposes. Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of Ya portion of the wagon-box and the improved endgate, the latter being arranged for dumping purposes. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the extension removably attachable to the wagon-box in the ordinary guides of the latter and on which the said end-gate is mounted. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of a portion of the wagon-box, extension, and end-gate.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding partsin the several views.

The numeral l designates an ordinary wagon-box having the usual inside end-gate guides 2 at the rear open end. thereof, in which is fitted an extension 3. The said extension is freely applicable to and removable from the guides and hasv angular projections 4 at the front edge portions of the sides 5 to enter the grooves of the guides. The rear edges of the sides are beveled downwardly and outwardly, and thereby locate the widest portion of the said sides near the plane of the bottom of the wagon-box and provide means for the practical application of the end-gate. The sides 5 are connected by a bottom board 6 arranged a short distance above the lower ends of the sides, and secured to the under side of the board are short transverse battens 7, which are of less length than the width of the board and of a thickness sufficient to have their under surfaces flush with the ends of the sides adjacent thereto. The outer edges of the battens are fitted closely to the inner lower end portions of the sides, and the latter have the lower front corners cutout to form angular recesses 8,having their horizontal walls flush with the under surface of the bottom board, and these recesses, with the front ends of the battens, form a seat to receive the rear end of the bottom of the wagon-box and provide a tight joint with the latter. It is proposed to space or proportion the parts of the said seat and the angular projections 4 in such relation that when the eX- tension as a whole is applied to the end of a wagon-box the seat and rear end portion of the bottom of the box will accurately coincide, and to render the operation of unloading the wagon-box easy the front edge of the bottom board 6 is formed with a downwardcurved bevel, as at 9, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The rear edge l0 of the said bottoni board is beveled at the same angle as the sides 5, and let into the rear lower corners of the latter is a cross-sill ll, which projects beyond the plane of the outer surfaces of the sides at the ends and also rearward from the beveled edges of the said sides to form a support.

IOO

It is well known among wagon. manufacturers and those skilled in the art of wagonbuilding that all wagon-bodies within certain capacities have uniform containing dimensions and are constructed in accordance with certain scales which are universally recognized and followed. Therefore those endgate attachments which deplete the wagonbody or reduce the normal containing capacity have failed to be adopted, and the present end-gate was devised and constructed to overcome such disadvantages by extension exclusively rearward from the ordinary tail-gate.

From the foregoing description of the extension it Will be observed that the wagonbox is not in the least changed or modified to accommodate the application of the said extension, and instead of depleting the length of the said box the capacity of the box is materially increased and the expense and disadvantage incident to a special arrangement of the box to receive an end-gate is completely avoided. Moreover, a grain-tightjoint is also formed at all points of engagement of the extension with the box end and all points of engagement between the extension itself and the regular end-gate by formingadouble corner-surface, means being also provided fory producing either a shoveling or a dumping operation, as will be presently explained.

The end-gate embodies sides 12, having straight front edges and rear inclined edges having an angle of inclination or bevel corresponding precisely to that of the rear edges of the sides of the extension. The front portion of the gate between the sides 12 is completely open, and to the rear beveled edges of the said sides a cover 13 is secured and at times forms a bottom for the gate and may be composed of a series of individual strips closely arranged and secured or of a single piece of suitable material and reinforced by upper and lower cross-battens 14. The lower rear corners of the sides 12 and portions of the cover secured thereover are angularly recessed, as at 15, to receive the projecting ends of the cross-sill 11 to permit the said sides to overlap the sides of the extension, as shown by Figs. 1, 3, and 5, and thereby form a graintight joint and a stable support for the gate.

Projecting forwardly from the upper portions of the front edges of the sides 12 are hooks 16, one on each side, to engage out-standing studs 17 on the upper outer portions of the sides 5 of the extension to form a suspending hinge connection between the gate and the extension when the said gate is arranged for a dumping operation, as clearly shown by Fig. 3,and movably secured to the outer portion of each side 5, at an intermediate point, isasustaining rod or bar 18, having a hook 19 at its free end to connect with a diagonallydisposed catch-bar 20 of a clip 21, rigidly xed to each side 12 of the end-gate, and through which the rods or bars have free sliding movement in the opening and closing operations of the gate. When the rods or bars are in the sustaining position, (shown by Fig. 2,) the gate is arranged for shoveling operations, and the lower portions of the cover and sides bear on the cross-sill 11, and thereby the strain on and produced by the gate is mainly concentrated upon the said sill and the extension. As a simple means of locking or immovably holding the gate closed against the extension forwardly-projecting angular catches 21 are attached to the lower outer portions of the sides 12 of the gate, one ou each side and both horizontally disposed, with the engaging ends forward and standing outwardly from the adjacent portions of the sides 12. In establishing a connection with these catches the bars or rods 1S are drawn down vertically through the clips 21 and pushed into the forward portions' of the said catches, as clearly shown by Fig. 1. To facilitate this operation without cramping or binding the said rods or bars, the upper pi voted extremities of the latter are curved or deflected to permit them to be drawn closely through the clips, and as the rods or bars are attached to the sides 5 of the extension and when in the locking condition set forth engage two separated devices on each side of the gate the said gate is held in iirm and immovable bearing against the extension by mechanism which can be easily operated to release the gate when desired, the releasing operation requiring but a forward push or movement of the rods or bars to disengage them from the catches 21a, when the gate will be free to lower to assume the position shown by Fig. 2.

In addition to the advantages of the improved construction which have been referred to there are many others, and among the same may be mentioned the operation of the gate wholly on the extension and independent of the wagon-box. Furthermore, all parts of the gate coming onto and over the extension, and particularly at the corners, are double to produce an effectual grain-tight joint. The extension and gate can be made as much higher than the upper edge of the wagon-box as desired and by the use of the extension the gate proper materially simplied in construction,

by reason of the absence therefrom of connecting attachments and fragile parts usually demanded in structures where the gate is applied directly to the wagon-box. When found necessary, it is also proposed to change the form, size, proportions, and minor details ofl the several attachments referred to, as well as the gate and extension, without departing from the principle of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a wagon-box or the like, an extension removably applied to the rear thereof and projected beyond the same, the said extension having a vbottom board resting upon that of the wagon body and serving to lengthen the latter without interfering with IOO the structure of the same, and an end-gate movably connected to and closable against the extension and having its lower portion adapted to bear against the rear upper part of the said bottom board, the parts of the gate overlapping engaged portions of the extension to provide double corners and graintight joints.

2. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a wagon-box or the like, of an extension removably applied to the rear thereof and projected beyond the rear terminal of the same, the said extension having a bottom board resting upon that of the wagonbody and serving to lengthen the latter without interfering with the structure of the saine and provided with a rear outstanding crosssill at the lower portion of the same, and an end-gate movably connected to and closable against the extension and having a lower angular recess to bear against the rear portion of the extension bottom board, parts of the gate overlapping engaged portions of the extension to provide double corners and graintight joints.

3. The combination with a wagon-body or the like, of an extension applied to the rear end of the same, and an end-gate movably connected to said extension and adapted to be movably suspended from the upper portion of the latter and to have its lower portion freely swing.

4. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a wagon-box of an exten'- sion, rods or bars movably attached to the sides of the extension and having rear hooked ends, an end-gate, and clips on the sides of the end-gate through which the said rods or bars extend and are free to move, the said clips having catch-bars for engagement with the hooks of the rods or bars.

5. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a wagon-box, of an extension, rods or bars movably attached to the said extension, an end-gate, clips on the sides of the gate through which the rods or bars have free sliding movement, and catches on the sides of the gate below the clips to receive portions of the rods or bars for locking the gate closed, the rods or bars always remaining in engagement with the clips and having rear hooked ends to catch over portions of the latter.

6. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a wagon-box, of an extension having-upper outstanding studs, and an end-gate having upper forwardly-projecting articulating devices to engage said studs to form suspending-hinges.

7. In adevice of the character set forth,'the combination with a wagon-box or thelike, of an extension attached t0 the delivery extremity thereof, and a regularly-movable end-gate having extension sides, the said extension projecting rearwardly from the delivery extremity of the wagon-box a distance not less than that sufficient to allow the sides of the gate to close against the sides of the extension, so that the part of the end-gate overlapping the engaged portion of the extension shall have room to be so closed without said gate coming forward even with the adjacent end of the wagon-box or to come in contact with the latter.

8. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a wagon-box or the like, of an extension having sides gradually widened from the top toward the lower terminations thereof in a rearward direction, and an endgate movably applied to the extension exclusively and having sides extending beyond the rear terminating edges of the sides of the extension in a forward direction, whereby grain or other material will be prevented vfrom falling out over the sides of the end-gate when it is lowered as a shoveling-board.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

EDGAR C. LITCHFIELD. HENRY L. LITCHFIELD. Vitnesses:

S. E. LEE, HARRIET WICKWARE. 

